


Runaway

by puncturedhearts



Series: Walk the Wire [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: M/M, Mutual Pining, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 16:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21951244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puncturedhearts/pseuds/puncturedhearts
Summary: Clover, for his part, didn’t want to push Qrow into anything too quickly, so he let the huntsman make his weak excuses, run away from when he needed to, and waited patiently for the right moment. He needed to find a chance where Qrow couldn’t run off and make excuses and they could have a good talk.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Series: Walk the Wire [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1579300
Comments: 14
Kudos: 208





	Runaway

**Author's Note:**

> :) Someone asked for some yearning?
> 
> (can be read stand-alone but better if read in order)

Qrow didn’t run away. He didn’t.

He just…took the opportunity to get as far away from Clover as possible when the moment presented itself. Not running.

He didn’t flee all the way back to his room to get changed, and he definitely didn’t avoid Clover the next day in the briefing room by taking a mission with the kids. He was just…mixing things up. Spending his time with other people.

He wasn’t making sure his time was spent far away from the rec room to avoid Clover, he was doing that because there was no reason to go in there. No reason at all.

And he absolutely wasn’t avoiding the situation when he walked the other direction the moment Clover started walking his way last night…he had forgotten something in his room, that was all.

\-----

Qrow was avoiding him.

Clover sighed as he watched the huntsman make a quick excuse and dart away from him for the fifth time this week. He watched the figure retreat around the corner, sad to see it go. Ever since their time together in the rec room last week, Qrow had been taking every opportunity to spend as little time possible alone with him. Clover wasn’t dumb. Qrow hid it behind flimsy excuses that a child could see through, and his tell for lying was so obvious, his hand jumping to his flushed neck, his eyes darting away. He was cute when he was flustered, but Clover couldn’t even get to enjoy it because it meant that Qrow was about to flee in another direction.

Clover, for his part, didn’t want to push Qrow into anything too quickly, so he let the huntsman make his weak excuses, run away from when he needed to, and waited patiently for the right moment. He needed to find a chance where Qrow couldn’t run off and make excuses and they could have a good talk.

Clover sat down at a table in the rec room, eyes shifting naturally to the table where a deck of cards sat from the last time they’d played together. Before this whole mess, the two of them had been spending a lot of down time together. Clover had started getting used to the two of them spending their evenings passing the time through one game or another, filled with conversations about nothing much at all. Now though, he was left with more alone time than he knew what to do with. His teammates rarely spent much time together outside of missions, so this shouldn’t be new to him, but something about spending time with Qrow was different. He wanted more and was never satisfied once the mission was over and the team started going their separate ways. Clover kept finding excuses to extend their time together. A quick game of cards, playing some pool, catching dinner together in the mess hall. He used every excuse he could to get them spending even ten more minutes in each other’s presence. And at first, Qrow seemed to be enjoying it.

Clover moved to grab a deck of cards and began to shuffle it, giving him something to do with his hands as he contemplated their relationship, its growths, and how it had slowed to a halt as Qrow began to avoid him. He had been forward, sure, but something had triggered the sudden distancing. It had happened after one the mornings they spent in the rec room together, drinking their hot beverages. Marrow had interrupted them eventually, but before that, Clover hadn’t thought that what they’d been doing was too far off base. Qrow certainly didn’t seem to mind at the time. So why was he now so spooked and desperate to get away from him?

\-----

Qrow perched in his place in the training room, high above prying eyes. He felt the most comfortable up there, able to watch without being watched and think in peace. It gave his heart time to slow down, his thoughts to even out, and his gaze to linger where it wanted to… his sister would laugh at him for picking a place so high up, like a bird roosting in the rafters, but Qrow didn’t care. He liked the comfort it brought.

Qrow watched Clover, Harriet and Marrow run training exercises. Some of the kids were scattered around the room too; their eyes often drifted back to the ace-ops, their mouths hanging open in awe from some of the maneuvers the teammates were pulling off. Even Qrow couldn’t help but admire the teamwork, thoughts drifting towards the missions he’d been so intent on avoiding with Clover lately. The two of them, annoyingly, fit really well together. Even beyond their semblances cancelling each other out, the two of them fought together with an ease almost foreign to Qrow. If Qrow needed Clover, he was there almost before the thought crossed Qrow’s mind. The two of them fell into an easy rhythm, missions being completed with an efficiency Ironwood was pleased with. There was no denying that they were good partners on the field, no matter how much Qrow despised having to admit it.

Qrow quickly shifted into the shadows as the team turned towards his direction. But not because he didn’t want to be seen… but he liked his privacy and being away from questioning gazes. It wasn’t as if he was avoiding the bastard on purpose.

_He wasn’t._

Qrow sighed, his eyes following Clover without consciously realizing it. When the leader of the ace-ops moved to the other side of the training area, his eyes naturally followed. When green eyes snapped up towards him without warning—

\--Qrow almost fell over and lost his footing, heart pounding in his chest. _Damn it._

\-----

Clover sighed as he watched Qrow dart away from his place in the rafters. He had been getting nowhere with him the last few days. The huntsman making up excuses to flee at a moments notice. No one else seemed to realize what was going on, too oblivious and in their own worlds and used to Qrow’s oddities, but Clover noticed. He always noticed.

“Hey! Marrow, Harriet. You two continue without me.” He called, making his way from the training room before they could think much of it. They were used to him going off on short notice. They would probably think he had a meeting to get to or another problem to solve. Never a dull moment, being the leader of the ace-ops.

Clover made his way to follow Qrow, determined to catch up with him. He’d been so far unsuccessful in cornering him. The huntsman was surprisingly elusive when he wanted to be. Maybe he would manage today.

“Oh!”

Clover had turned a corner too sharply, too lost in his thoughts, but managed to pull himself to a stop just before running into one of the girls from team RWBY. “So sorry, Blake.” Clover said, “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“That’s okay!” The girl said, her ears twitching. She turned and glanced behind her and looked back to Clover, frowning. “Everything alright?”

Clover nodded, “Everything is fine.” He said, eyes drifting over the Faunus’ head to see an empty hallway, Qrow no longer in sight. He must have passed by Blake. “How have your missions been going?”

“Oh!” Blake seemed surprised at the attention, but pleased, “They’re going well. Yang and I were just heading out now actually…”

“Right,” Clover nodded, remembering seeing the mission roster earlier. “Good luck today,” He winked at her, unable to resist himself. “Keep Yang out of trouble now.”

Blake flushed before nodding, taking the chance to continue down the hall. “W-will do! Thank you, Clover.”

The leader of the ace-ops watched Blake walk away before making his way back down the hall, in hopes that Qrow might be around the next corner. Unsurprisingly, he was nowhere to be found, and Clover was back where he started before.

Sighing in annoyance, Clover got back to work rather than continue to chase Qrow. Maybe another time. 

\-----

Qrow sat in the rec room, a rare venture lately with the risk of Clover arriving, and picked at the loose fabric on his cape. He had most of the day free, having no missions and having completed his morning training. The day was his and he didn’t know what to do with it. He glanced over at the deck of cards, which seem to have been used recently, or at least moved, and shifted to pick them up. His hands were glancing over the deck when he looked up, something pricking at the back of his neck, and saw Marrow watching him. Qrow jerked his hand back in surprise and the Faunus tilted his head at him.

“Are you alright, Qrow?” Marrow asked kindly. “You seem a bit distracted.”

“I’m fine,” Qrow coughed, rubbing his neck absentmindedly. “What’s up?”

Marrow’s eyes looked contemplative and Qrow’s annoyance rose. For someone who was told didn’t have many brains, he sure was being perceptive and nosy. “Oh, nothing.” He smiled. “Clover has the day off too I think.”

Qrow twitched, his hand spasming under the table. “Really…” He deadpanned, unable to resist. “I didn’t think the Golden Boy got many days off.”

Marrow frowned at him. “We all need days off,” He said, “Are you enjoying yours?”

Qrow closed his eyes in frustration. This conversation was exactly what he’d been trying to avoid lately. “It’s just peachy.”

“Hmm…”

“Did you need something?” Qrow snapped.

“No, no.” The Faunus smiled at him. “Not at all. I just thought it was curious, that’s all.”

“What’s curious?”

“You just seemed… _so_ close last week. I thought you’d be spending the day together.”

Qrow flushed in horror. Maybe Marrow had seen more last week than he initially thought. “Clover has enough going on without me around all the time,” Qrow snarked, shoulders raising in defense. He needed to get out of here. This conversation was playing a bit too close to home for his liking.

“Hmm… I rather thought he was _enjoying_ your company… shame.”

Qrow almost growled, but reigned it in at the last moment. “Whatever… I gotta get going.”

“Sure… have a good day off.”

Qrow didn’t grace Marrow with a response and fled from the rec room as quick as he could, already coming up with excuses in case someone decided to question him. He had a meeting with Ironwood later that he had to get to, he left the oven on, he said he would play some videogames with Ruby and Yang…

“Qrow,”

Said huntsman almost jumped out of his skin, turning quickly on a heel to see the Golden Boy himself standing behind him. All thoughts and excuses flew from his mind, his body tensing in anticipation… _stupid._

“Um!” Qrow fumbled, heat rising to his face. “What’s up?” Wincing inwardly, Qrow looked for an escape, trying not to make it too obvious. If he kept this up, Clover was going to start figuring out…

Not that he was avoiding…or running for that matter. He wasn’t running from his problems, _he wasn’t._ He had just decided that this _particular_ problem was best solved by a little space.

“We have a meeting with Ironwood. He wants us to go there now.” Clover’s calming, even leveled voice cut through his thoughts.

“Ah…” Qrow said, “Okay, yeah. Let’s go…do that.” _Awkward, awkward, awkward. Why are you so awkward?_ Qrow wondered if he’d ever be able to have a natural conversation with Clover ever again. Before this whole mess started, before he started realizing things, he genuinely enjoyed spending time with the leader of the ace-ops. Their banter had been so easy, the laughter natural. He’d been enjoying himself during his downtime instead of having his thoughts drift to other things…

But then he had to go and mess it up. To let himself, even if it was just for a moment, give in and yearn; yearn for something that he couldn’t take, wouldn’t dare ask for, even if Clover seemed willing. He couldn’t, he wouldn’t, drag Clover into his life. It wasn’t fair. He couldn’t let himself get swept up in the moment

Clover turned and headed back the way he’d come from, tilting his head in that way he did to indicate that Qrow should follow.

Sighing to himself, Qrow started walking, resigning himself to not being able to avoid this particular time alone together.

\-----

The two stood almost shoulder to shoulder as the meeting progressed. The points of contact were so tantalizing that Qrow was aware of every shift and movement that brought them into more or less contact.

Qrow _ached_ to both bring them closer together but also to get himself out of there as fast as he fucking could. He felt the areas where they were brushing tingle with excitement, his body yearning to reach out and increase their points of contact…

Shaking his head in shame, Qrow brought his focus back to the meeting at hand, reluctantly. His body wanted, wanted so much, but he knew better. He knew what he had to do. He shifted slightly, erasing the points of contact. The skin cooled, the tingling stopped…

Until Clover shifted again and their arms were pressed together even more firmly, Clover’s fingers brushing Qrow’s own… just barely.

Qrow jerked in response, shoving his hands into his pockets, and earning a raised eyebrow from Ironwood, who was listening to Clover’s most recent report. Flushing, Qrow tried to still his body, and his reactions, and make it out of this meeting with some dignity. He didn’t need Ironwood judging him, making his own assumptions. He had enough of that already. He was just trying to retain some form of professionalism, despite what his body so desperately wanted. _Like being back in the rec room, with heat at his back and hands gently cradling his neck…_

“Dismissed,” Ironwood said, interrupting Qrow’s disastrous thoughts. He had missed the entire second half of their meeting. Hoping it didn’t seem too obvious, Qrow moved to leave before he called out again. “Wait, Qrow stay for a moment. Clover, you’re dismissed.” Wincing, Qrow stayed where he was as Clover dutifully left the room, sending a quick glance behind him at Qrow before he left. Qrow stood before the general, shifting on his feet through the silence.

“You know you can talk to me, right?” Qrow startled, eyes snapping up to meet Ironwood’s. “Are you okay? You seemed a bit off today in the meeting.”

“I’m fine,” He said, rolling his eyes a bit at Ironwood’s concerned look. “Honestly.”

“You weren’t paying any attention,” he replied, “Are you getting enough sleep, have everything you need? I noticed you haven’t been…” Ironwood trailed off, seeming to understand that that topic of conversation was off limits.

Qrow wasn’t getting much sleep, and he was always desperate for a drink, but all things considered…he was doing okay. He was just distracted by Clover right now, always, but he wasn’t about to admit that to Ironwood of all people, no matter how close they’d been in years past. “I’m fine, Jimmy.” Qrow said.  
“I’ll be better next time. Long week.”

Ironwood tilted his head at him. “Okay,” He said, “If you say so, but don’t hesitate to come to me if you need. Or Clover.” Qrow almost didn’t repress the wince at hearing the ace-ops name mentioned. “We’re here to help.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Okay then… dismissed.”

Saluting mockingly, Qrow left Ironwood’s office and was disappointed, but not surprised to see Clover waiting for him.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, fine.” Qrow said, rolling his eyes. “Just Ironwood being, well… Ironwood.”

“You two seem close,” Clover said, “Or, as close as anyone can be with James.”

“Yeah,” Qrow said, hating how he fell back so easily into revealing anything and everything to Clover just because he asked nicely. “We’ve worked together for years.”

“Just worked?” Qrow blinked at the question, but before he could answer, Clover continued. “What did he want?”

“Oh, nothing really…” he replied, his hand unconsciously coming to rub on his neck. “Just checking in on the girls and how they’re doing.”

Clover looked at him intently for a moment, considering, before nodding, seemingly accepting his answer, “Okay.”

Qrow sighed silently in relief, releasing the breath he’d been holding.

“Want to go catch dinner?”

Qrow panicked, fumbling immediately. _Stay cool_ , “Sorry! Promised I’d go see Yang and Ruby tonight. See you!”

Qrow ran off before Clover could question him further, breathing out in relief once he was alone again. He didn’t notice the frown on Clover’s face as he ran off and he definitely didn’t notice the disappointed sigh from the man who knew he was being lied to.

Everything was fine.

\-----

“Are you pushing me away, Qrow?”

Was Clover’s presence ever not going to startle the absolute shit out of him? Qrow was sick and tired of jumping whenever the man came unannounced. It had been a day or so since their last interaction, Qrow having fled as quickly as possible last time, and it had been about a week and a half since the incident in the rec room with the _massage._ He was about to rise from his place on the couch when Clover placed his hand on his shoulder, lightly holding him in place.

Qrow looked up and shivered at the look Clover sent his way, unable to look away. Their gazes were locked. “What?” He rasped. Clover was standing over his shoulder at the back of the couch.

“Did I do something wrong?” Clover asked, slowly moving around so that they were facing each other. He sat on the coffee table, eyes never leaving Qrow’s. “How’s your neck?”

He felt like he had whiplash, the conversation coming out of nowhere and jumping to places he wasn’t expecting, “What?”

“Your neck,” Clover said, reaching out to gently touch the side. Qrow shivered, his neck naturally tilting to give Clover more access. “Is it feeling better?”

“Uh,” Qrow leaned into the touch, “I…”

“It feels a bit tense, I could…”

“No!” Qrow’s eyes flew open. “It’s fine. Your… it helped last week. It’s fine.”

Clover nodded, slowly dragging his fingers down. “Okay,” He said softly, “if you say so.”

“I do.”

Clover’s hand didn’t leave his neck right away though. It drifted down and rubbed at Qrow’s clavicle for a moment before disappearing.

Heat followed the tantalizing touch, leaving tingles in their wake.

“So,” Clover said, standing up and walking towards on of the chairs that were next to the couch, “Have you been avoiding me?”

“I…” Qrow fumbled for a response. “I um…”

“I thought we were friends, or at least becoming so.” Clover said softly.

“You don’t want to be friends with me,” Qrow scoffed, rising to his feet quickly to exit the rec room as fast as possible. He couldn’t have this conversation right now. Clover would just have to deal. And so he left and he _didn’t_ hear the whispered admission of _“that’s not true…”,_ and he absolutely didn’t flinch. He didn’t.

_No one said anything and everything was fine._

\-----

How had they gotten to this point? Qrow wasn’t sure but he was breathing heavily, red eyes locked with green ones in a contest of wills. They’d been training, and suddenly they were alone and… words were being said again. Words that Qrow didn’t want to hear. He thought this conversation had ended days ago. The conversation that wasn’t supposed to have happened, or be happening.

“Friends? Anyone who tries learns pretty quick that being around me is a hazard,” He chucked darkly, “I’m not just going to drag you into my life. My own family hardly wants me around.” He said harshly. “You don’t want me as a friend. I won’t let you-”

“That’s not for you to decide!” Clover raised his voice, moving forward so quickly that Qrow was backed up against the wall in his haste to keep distance between them. Qrow’s breath exited him in a rush of surprise. Clover seemed to collect himself, realizing that he was pushing too hard, and this time his voice was quieter. “You can push us away all you want, but people care about you. Just because you’ve decided that we can’t get close to you, can’t want to be in your life, doesn’t mean that we aren’t already. That we don’t already want the best for you.”

Qrow shook his head, lips pursed tightly. Nothing he said was getting through to the persistent man.

Clover’s hand came up, as if he was going to touch Qrow’s cheek, before it drifted back down, the finger tips _just barely_ brushing over Qrow’s face as they went. Qrow shuddered, eyes drifting shut at the sensation. He wanted so badly to push Clover up against the wall and…

“We should… we should get going,” Qrow rasped, barely containing himself. “They’re waiting for us.” ‘They’ being their teammates, who they’d just been training with. Who they were supposed to be following, and would be wondering where they had gotten to.

“Right.” Clover retreated, stepping fully away. “We’ll talk about this later.”

Clover walked away and Qrow covered his face with his hands and shuddered into it, a soft whimper escaping. _What the fuck._

\-----

A few hours passed without incident. Qrow’s mind kept drifting back to the conversation he’d had with Clover. How quickly the conversation had become heated, how much he’d wanted to slam their lips together just so he would _shut up_ about being friends _._ They were in the back of a truck now, on their way back from their mission, back where it all began it seemed, and Clover wasn’t ready to let the conversation go. They were back to playing cards, Qrow having reluctantly agreed, and Clover was still winning all the hands.

“Our semblances don’t define us,” Clover said softly. “It doesn’t define you unless you let it.”

Qrow snorted in disbelief, mouth opening to deflect. “Yea-”

Clover cut in before he could speak, “They don’t define our relationship, they don’t determine that we should or shouldn’t be partners. Whether we’re friends or not… _We decide that._ ”

“I don’t agree,”

“No?”

“No, I don’t. I don’t care of our semblances cancel each other out. I’m not the kind of guy you want around – you don’t take me back home to meet the wife and kids and sit around the patio with.

“I don’t have a _wife_.” Clover said softly.

Qrow moved forward as if he hadn’t heard. “I don’t _do_ friends, and there’s a damn good reason why. Who’d want to be around me anyway. I sure as shit wouldn’t.”

“That’s not for you to decide,” Clover said softly, repeating his words from earlier that day.

Qrow’s mouth snapped shut, teeth rattling.

“You don’t need to keep pushing me away, whether you’re trying to protect me or not. I can take care of myself.” Clover continued, “So let’s… be friends, okay? I never much liked drinking on the patio, anyway, and I sure don’t have a _husband_ and kids at home for you to meet.”

 _Friends… I could manage friends, right? Wait a second_ , _husband?_ Qrow reigned in his thoughts before they could get too far off track. _Clover is smiling at me in that stupid soft way he always did, what do I do?_ Friends wasn’t ideal, but it was going to have to do… Clover was persistent. He just had to learn to ignore the yearning in his heart that wanted desperately to push Clover up against the wall and kiss him senseless, or be kissed senseless… honestly Qrow wasn’t sure what he wanted…he just wanted, desperately, just as it seemed like Clover had decided they were to be _just friends_. He hadn’t missed the inflection there. "Okay."

\-----

Clover smiled softly at Qrow’s acceptance of friendship as they exited the truck. Qrow brushed himself off and Clover watched his movements, forcing himself to ignore the way his waist tapered off and how he desperately wanted to wrap his arms around him - to squeeze this waist and feel his heart beating against his own chest. _Friendly thoughts only,_ he chided himself. He knew he’d pushed too much too fast. He would have to resign himself to being friends with Qrow. _Only friends_. He didn’t want to put any of this at risk and going about things the way he had been, with flirty intentions, it was clear he had over stepped Qrow’s boundaries and he intended to fix that. Just friends they would have to be. Clover could live with that. He would have to.

He clasped his hand onto Qrow’s shoulder. “Let’s go get something to eat, I’m starving.”

What he didn’t notice, was the way Qrow’s knees almost buckled at the contact, the huntsman aching after the brief touch, the sudden desperation in his eyes and need for more. “Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!
> 
> This was meant to be a fast paced short one but it had a mind of its own and got longer, shorter, and then got longer again. Oops - good news though because I made some cuts that got pushed into the next part so some of that's written already :) 
> 
> Suggestions, nit picking, and constructive criticism always welcome


End file.
